Step stool



Dec. 1951 N. SUSSMAN 2,577,438

STEP STOOL Filed April 22, 1950 IN VEN TOR.

( Mir/74A fulfill 17 By Patented Dec. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEP STOOL Nathan Sussman, Long Island City, N. Y. Application April 22, 1950, Serial No. 157,509

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to a step stool and in particular to means for retaining the ladder in the respective operative and inoperative positions.

Step stools or chairs are well known which are equipped with a step ladder, the latter being turnable from its inoperative position below the seat into operative position in front of the stool or chair. Different constructions provided different means for limiting turning movement of the step ladder into the respective operative and inoperative positions. While the inoperative position of the step ladder permitted of easy lifting of the chair or stool without further turning of the step ladder, the operative or outside position of the step ladder could not be retained upon lifting the stool or chair.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a step stool or chair, the step ladder of which is retained in its inoperative and operative position regardless whether the stool or chair is positioned on the ground or lifted.

t is another object of the present invention to provide a step stool or chair having a step ladder turning upon an axle from inoperative to operative position, which axle include means for limiting the turning movement.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the step stool;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation along the lines 22 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the abutting means for the turning axle; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the abutting means for the turning axle shown in a turned position.

Referring now to the drawing, the stepping stool or chair comprises four legs, preferably formed of two substantially vertically disposed U-shaped members preferably of tubular material with inverted U, thus providing two pairs of legs I and 2. The bases 3 and 4 of each pair of legs are secured to a third horizontally disposed U-shaped member 5, the base 6 of the member connecting the two first mentioned U-shaped members at their front while the legs 7 of the member 5 extend parallel in rearward direction and are secured to the bases 3 and 4 of the two first mentioned U-members. The horizontally disposed legs I may be bent upwardly to "extensions 8 which are adapted to support a back 9 while the legs 'I are adapted to support a seat I0.

Front and rear braces II and I2 connect the front legs and rear legs I and 2, respectively. It is of course possible to provide also side braces (not shown) between each front and rear leg.

A step ladder I 3 is turnably secured between the front legs I, 2 of the chair or stool. The step ladder I3 comprises two approximately S-shaped preferably tubular members I4 which are welded or otherwise secured to another brace I5 rotatably mounted in the tubular front legs I and 2. In operative position of the step ladder I3 the members I4 comprise a short top horizontally disposed portion I6 which at its rear end is bent into a vertically disposed portion I! to be bent forwardly into another horizontally disposed portion I8 of at least double length of the portion I6 to be bent downwardly at its front end to vertically disposed portions I9 of predetermined length which terminate at the ground on which the legs I and 2 rest. The horizontal portions I6 and I8 support steps 20 and 2|, thus forming the ladder.

In the operative position of the ladder I3, as shown in Fig. 1, special abutting means are provided to retain the ladder I 3 in this position even upon lifting the chair or stool from the ground. In order to achieve this end, the brace I5 is eccentrically inserted into the front legs I and 2 of the stool in such manner, that the distance between the center of the brace I5 from the rear wall of the tubular legs I and 2 is shorter than that from the front wall thereof. Furthermore, the ends of the brace I5 have bores 22 which receive pins 23 extending in an angle in downward and rearward direction from the brace I5 when in the ladder I3 is in operative position. The tubular members I4 are preferably welded to the brace I5 in such manner, that when the ladder I3 engages the ground the pins 23 abut the inner face of the rear walls of the tubular legs I and 2 and prevent further turning of the ladder. The pins 23 thus reach the abutting position shown in Fig. 3 when the ladder I3 is in operative position.

The ladder I3 may be turned upon the brace I5 into rearward inoperative position in which case the pins 23 move counter clockwise (Fig. 3) and since the pins 23 due to their eccentric position within the tubular legs I and 2 pass the inner face of the front wall of the legs I and 2, the ladder I3 may be turned until the former vertical portions I9 thereof abut against the base 6 of the U-shaped member 5, the pins 23 thereby reaching approximately the horizontal position shown in Fig. 4. The ladder I3 is in the inoperative position completely under the chair or stool and in order to return the ladder l3 into operative position it is merely necessary to turn it upon the brace l5 clockwise until the pins 2| abut the rear inner face of the legs I and 2.

It is quite clear and evident that the brace I5 could be arranged also closer to the inner front face of the tubular legs I and 2 in which case the pins 23 must extend in an angle in forward and upward direction in order to abut the inner front face of the tubular legs I and 2.

I claim:

In a step stool or chair, a seat, a plurality of hollow legs supporting said seat, a step ladder turnably disposed between two of said legs, a brace rotatably mounted in said two hollow legs and secured to said step ladder, said brace being disposed eccentrically to the axis of said legs, a

pin member inserted at each end of said brace within said legs and abutting against the inner face of the wall of lesser distance of said legs when said step ladder is in operative position and said pin member of the brace passing freely the inner opposite face of said legs when said step ladder is turned upon said brace from operative into inoperative position within said chair.

NATHAN SUSSMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 15 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,400,779 Pearle May 21, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 20 Number Country Date 9,242 Great Britain 1914 

